Listen to “#727 How Bruce Jackson Went from the “NYC Projects” to Microsoft Counsel” on Spreaker.
On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…
SEGMENT 1 with Bruce Jackson, starting at 0:00: Have you ever sat back and been surprised about where you ended up professionally in life when you consider where you started? Our next guest seems to be on a journey similar to many of us. Bruce Jackson shares his journey from growing up in government housing across from the famous Lincoln Center to working as general counsel at Microsoft.
SEGMENT 2 with Michael Wagner, starting at 33:00: When we broke ground for my new home in Scottsdale at the beginning of the pandemic in February 2020, I remember calling my pool company asking for a discount since I thought mine would be the last pool they would install for a few years…boy was I wrong! Michael Wagner is here to share the current state of the pool services industry.
Sponsored by Truly Financial.
More on each segment below.
Segment 1: Bruce Jackson is an associate general counsel at Microsoft and managing director for strategic partnerships out of the office of the president at Microsoft. Born in Brooklyn, he studied law at Georgetown University and spent a decade working in entertainment law with some of the top music talent in the country. Since then, he has received Microsoft’s diversity award, participated in Microsoft’s law and corporate affairs’ diversity efforts, helped launch Microsoft’s Elevate American Veterans Initiative, and worked to develop its diverse recruitment pipeline. Never Far from Home is his first book.
- What it was like growing up in government housing across from the famous Lincoln Center
- How Bruce was the first of his family to go to college and how he almost dropped out, but his aunt convinced him to stay
- The perseverance needed for career success
- The powers of sponsorship, mentorship, and self-empowerment
- Becoming the change, you want to see
Segment 2: Michael Wagner was born in California but grew up a military brat who lived in many spots and traveled around the world. Michael graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with degrees in Economics and Spanish. He held multiple senior leadership roles for Coastal Training Technologies Corporation (acquired by DuPont) over a 19-year career. Now as the President of Pool Scouts, Michael oversees the business and works to drive growth and ensure franchisee support.
- The past few years saw an explosion in pool ownership and construction as many families turned to swimming as a form of entertainment during the pandemic
- Recent data estimates an increase of over 500% in backyard pools in recent years
- How is this trend impacting the pool services industry?
- Pool Scouts specifically has seen impressive system-wide revenue growth
- The brand has also seen double-digit signings and openings throughout 2022 and expanded to four new states in Q3 alone, pointing to the growing demand for services
Great Post about staying steadfast and determined! We can all love this and apply it to our lives! Email me Barry if you still work with start ups!